Five Years Later
by Friendy Tail
Summary: This story is set five years after the final season finished and what I think might have happened. It could possibly be rather a long story with quite a few chapters. I would appreciate reviews and constructive criticism. Thank you and I hope you enjoy reading it :) There is a basic story line, it's not just one-shots as it may appear at the starts.
1. Chapter 1

_Hello my friends. This story starts at the end of the final season, which aired on May 6th 2004, and then goes into the time period five years later. I simply just had the idea one day a couple of weeks ago and hadn't had time to finish the first chapter until now. This story will probably be rather long with many chapters._

_I sincerely hope you enjoy it, thank you for reading :) Please review, I enjoy your words ever so much..._

**Five years later...**

**Chapter One**

**'Ross and Rachel'**

Ross entered his apartment with a glum stride violently slamming the door behind him. He strolled sluggishly over to his light brown two-seater sofa, pressed the button on his answering machine and slumped down with a sigh. Booooooop. Rachel's voice blasted out of the answering machine.

"Ross, hi. It's me." Ross perked up, listening intently. "I just got back on the plane. And I just feel awful. That is so not how I wanted things to end with us." He looked towards the floor and repositioned himself back in his seat. "It's just that I wasn't expecting to see you, and all of a sudden you're there and saying these things... And... And now I'm just sitting here and thinking of all the stuff I should have said, and I didn't." Ross concentrated on her voice, contemplating her words. "I mean, I didn't even get to tell you that I love you too." He leant back sadly and crossed his arms on his chest. "Because of course I do. I love you." He stared straight at the machine listening. "I love you. I love you. What am I doing? I love you! Oh, I've gotta see you. I've gotta get off this plane." Ross leant up.

"Oh my God!" he said shocked and confused.

"Excuse me?" Rachel asked the air stewardess.

"Miss? Please, sit down!" the stewardess replied with authority. Ross perked up. Listening. Absorbing the words that were spoken.

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, but I need to get off the plane, okay? I need to tell someone that I love them." she pleaded.

"Miss, I can't let you off the plane." Ross rose from the sofa and exclaimed,

"Let her off the plane!" to the stewardess as if she could hear.

"I'm afraid you are gonna have to take a seat." the stewardess insisted.

"Oh, please, miss, you don't understand!" Rachel pleaded, begging her to let her off the plain.

"Try to understand!" Ross shouted to the answering machine, throwing his arms towards it.

"Oh, come on, miss, isn't there any way that you can just let me off the..." Rachel ended. The message had finished. Ross stood there in despair, open-mouthed and wanting to know what happened.

"No! No! Oh my God." Ross cursed again, bent over the answering machine fumbling with the keys. "Did she get off the plane? Did she get off the plane?" he asked, shouting.

"I got off the plane." came a voice from the doorway. Ross span around. The door ajar, with Rachel standing there looking straight at him. Ross stared at her dumb-founded, breathing heavily. His chest rising and falling rapidly.

"You got off the plane." Ross said to her, his gentle brown eyes sad like a puppy's; yet happy at the same time.

**Five years later...**

Rachel brought her index finger up to her lips. "Hey, honey." Rachel whispered as Ross burst through the door. "Oscar's sleeping."

"OK." he said and silently crept through the apartment over to Rachel like a villain in a cartoon tiptoeing with exaggerated movements. "Where's Emma?" he questioned.

"She's with with little Ramond, having a play date." They continued to talk in hushed tones.

"Aahh yes. He better stay away from my little girl." Ross said defensively in a joking manner.

**Later on that evening**

Emma had arrived back home safely earlier on in the evening, dropped off by Ramond's father. Now Oscar and Emma were now both sound asleep neatly tucked up in their beds.

"Baby, I'm bored." Rachel declared out of nowhere.

"OK, so what do you want to do? Do you want to go out somewhere?" Ross asked.

"I don't mean bored now. I mean I'm bored here. In Paris. We don't have any proper friends. Just work colleagues." Rachel let out a monumental sign.

"I can't believe you feel the same way. I don't want to live here anymore either. I want to go back to America. Shall we? Why shouldn't we?" Ross inquired.

"Can we? Should we?"

"We can! We shall! Let's do it!" they both leapt up simultaneously and fell into an ecstatic hug. Waaaaaaaa! A feeble cry echoed from the room across the corridor of her living room.

"Ooops..." Ross mumbled with a cheeky grin. "I'll go."

Ross and Rachel relaxed upon their luxurious abyss of a sofa which was stuffed full of ample duck feathers. They discussed in length about what they should do as they weren't happy in Paris any more.

"I mean, what area should we even move to?" Rachel asked herself and Ross.

"What about the suburbs? I'd like to be near my parents so they can see Oscar and Emma more. We should be near our friends too. Hey! We could move into a sizeable house in the suburbs so Oscar and Em can play in the garden and we can get swings and a play set and a golden retriever and and..."

"Getting a bit carried away there... but yes, a house in the suburbs sounds amazing. We'll look tomorrow." a magnificent beam shone across Rachel's face.

"Chandler? Hey, is that you?" Ross whispered into the phone trying to sneak away from Rachel, she didn't need to know yet.

"Don't tell Monica but we're thinking of moving back to America. Can you check to see if there are any houses in your area? Let's keep this between me and you though, OK?"


	2. Chapter 2

_S'up guys. What's rolling? I assure you, I shall never do that again. This chapter is mainly focused on Joey and an event that has happened to him in the past five years. Please review, I love your thoughts :) Read, my lovely's, read!_

**Chapter Two**

**'Joey'**

**5 years ago... **

Joey strolled casually through the bustling Christmas infused street in a nonchalant manner. He was in a world of his own.

"Aaagh!" he yelped in a husky tone. A surge of pain bolted through his body rooting from his toe. He felt his balance fail as he tripped up the curb and onto the pavement.

A feeble shell of a woman with ashen colourless skin hurried over to him to help him up off the floor. She had soft dark chestnut coloured hair like silk cascading down her back; it was tied back upon her head in a loose ponytail with many little strands of hair flowing from it. She was accompanied by a young child who looked to be about nine years old and trembling with a mixture of the cold winter air that seeped through her skin and worn clothes and fear.

"Are you OK?" she asked while attempting to help Joey off the floor. She was too weak and frail to manage to heave Joey's hefty body up.

"I'm OK thanks. I should be asking you the same question. Why have you got suitcases on the street? You two look like hell warmed up." Joey asked not realising that it was nosy, inconsiderate and rather rude.

"I'm...we're fine. We're just going on a little holiday, aren't we Aimee?" the woman replied trying to reassure herself. Joey wasn't that dumb, he knew something was up. He just had to play it subtly.

"Can I just get you two a hot chocolate or a coffee to thank you for helping me?" Joey asked, trying to pretend like he'd forgotten about what he'd previously mentioned.

"No thank you, we're fine. We'd better be on our way; we're going to miss the train." she replied hastily.

"OK then. Have a safe journey." Joey smiled to them and turned to walk away. He took a few hesitant steps.

"Wait! Hey." the voice demanded. Joey turned his head, she was looking straight into his eyes. "I guess if you really want to repay me for helping you then you can take us for hot chocolate." she smiled coyly. A cheeky smirk spread wide across his face.

It was a little while later. Joey, the woman and her daughter Aimee were all at the coffee shop having a steam hazelnut hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows piled heavily on top of each mug. They were all relaxed in the booth of the coffee shop sipping the warmth happily.

Joey looked up from his hot chocolate at the innocent woman sitting opposite him. She looked oddly familiar as if he'd met her before many years earlier.

"So," Joey started "Why do you have suitcases on the street? If you don't mind me asking. You don't seem to look like you're going on a holiday."

"I do mind you asking actually!" she snapped.

"Mum! He's not going to hurt us. He's just a lovely man we helped and is now buying us hot chocolate. Just tell him. What harm is it going to do?" Aimee exclaimed in hushed tones.

"Aimee." she whispered "I don't want to."

"Want to what?" Joey piped in, looking confused.

"Well, Mum and I were living at home... if you can call hell that... until this morning. We lived with my Dad. It was all good until his Mother died and he blamed it on us. He's never been the best Dad in the world… but at least he used to try. That was until six years ago. His Mum died in a car accident. My Mum and I were in the car. Together with his Mum on the way to meet him at his shop. He... He..." Aimee trailed off, a tear formed in the corner of her eye.  
Joey was listening attentively "You don't have to tell me if it's too difficult." he said.

"No, it's fine. You already know most of it." Lydia started "He started to hurt us. He used to kick me and punch me, and did the same to Aimee. I couldn't get out. He was always there observing our every move. He put cameras up in our house, if we even went near the front door he'd come racing out of the garage to find us a hit us all over again. He'd beat us if we said no or didn't do anything quick enough. I didn't know what to do. He was too strong. He wouldn't let me call anyone. I don't know where to go or what to do." Her strong barrier crashed down and a tsunami of tears flooded down her face in a sea of misery. Joey tried to console her, he patted her on the back not knowing how to do so. She flinched away from him.

"Come live with me?" he declared, unsure.

"What?" she was stunned. "I can't. It would be rude."

"No it wouldn't. I offered." he insisted.

"Really?" she looked up at him with her big innocent chestnut eyes. Seriousness pulsated from him like a general gearing up his troops ready for war.

"Oh my god! You're serious!" she leapt across the table and embraced him in a warm thankful hug. She started to weep ecstatic tears of joy.

"Oh yeah, what's your name? You didn't tell me." Joey inquired.

"Lydia." she smiled still firmly locked in a warm embrace.


	3. Chapter 3

_This chapter is five years later with Phoebe. I will go back to the others soon but I'm just filling you in with little one-shots into their splendid lives. This chapter is a key event that has happened with her in the past five years. I really hope with all of my heart that you enjoy it thoroughly. Your reviews inspire me to write more, thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews. They always make my day and make me smile when you write such lovely things. I thank you, readers. I do try to update as soon as I possibly can but it's very difficult to do so as I'm in year 10 and starting my GCSEs. I will try to write at least a chapter a week. Thank you guys so much for reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Read on!_

**Chapter Three**

**'Phoebe'**

**Five Years Ago...**

I remember that evening as if it was yesterday.

I strolled into our cosy apartment, threw down my keys on the hall table and continued on into the living area.

**"**Baby, d'ya want to see what I've bought?" I asked him, he was quietly sitting down reading the newspaper on the old leather chesterfield armchair.

**"**Sure." Mike smiled up at me, a beaming smile spread across his face. I placed my bags down on the sofa and started to show Mike every single item that I'd bought shopping earlier that day with Monica.

**A long hour later...**

**"**And this one I brought from this cute little vintage shop on 46th. I thought it was so beautiful. I love that it's so bizarre and different, don't you?" I inquired. A snuffled snore whispered at me from the opposite armchair.

**"**B-beautiful." Mike murmured in his sleep. A loving smile spread across my face. I always loved the ways he snuffled in his sleep. I grabbed the warm woollen tartan blanket that was orderly lying over the arm of the chair and placed it gently over him, his chest was rising and falling calmly. He looked so tranquil, I wondered what he was dreaming about that night. I could look at him all day but I had to put my shopping away upstairs. I gazed down to pick up my bags. There was one more bag that I hadn't shown him; the bag from the drug store. Quietly, as not to disturb him, I parted the bag and picked up what was inside. Pregnancy tests. I'd bought them slyly so that Monica didn't see. Three, just to make sure. I really didn't want anyone to know that I thought I could possibly be pregnant. I was eight days late. Mike and I weren't trying to have a baby, I didn't know how it could have happened. Silently, placing the test back in the bag, I walked upstairs to our bedroom with the bags.

I ambled into our bathroom with the pregnancy tests. I could feel my heart rapidly thudding against my ribcage. It felt as if butterflies were fluttering around my stomach. I slowly sat down on the toilet seat lid and held the boxes in my hand staring down at them. I wanted to have a baby more than anything. I was ready but we hadn't had 'the talk' about babies yet. I didn't know if Mike wanted a baby yet, or ever. I opened the package.

Mike was in the kitchen making me a delicious dinner. And my favourite dessert, Banoffee Pie. He was busy trying to stop the food from burning that he didn't realise I snuck in behind him. I wrapped my long arms around his waist and kissed him softly on his neck. He turned around and kissed me lovingly on the lips. I gazed up into his eyes.

"Enjoy your little nap then? I see I bored you." I chuckled cheekily.

"It was really refreshing. You could never bore me, baby." He said looking down into my eyes, he was so handsome that night. His hair was tousled and messy and he wasn't wearing anything special, just jeans and a sweater. He continued "I think I fall more and more in love with you every day, if that's even possible." I perched on my tiptoes and pecked him on the lips.

"Me too." I replied. "Now, what have you got cooking there?"

"Oh damn it!" he turned back around and turned the stone off. "I forgot about that."

"Do you want any help?" I asked.

"No, but thank you. Go and take the weight off, you must be exhausted after a hard day's shopping." I smiled and lay down on the sofa. My eyes felt heavy and were drooping. Before I knew it I'd dozed off.

I woke up to the smell of beautifully cooked Pizza, and the gentle caress of Mike's hand on my cheek.

"Welcome back." he laughed. I smiled up at him. "Dinner is served, your majesty." He seated me at the dining table and we ate happily until I remembered.

"Mike, I have to talk to you about something." I started.

"Go on." he smiled at me reassuring me. My hands were sweating and sticky. My stomach tightened. It was now or never.

"Well. Hold on a second." I didn't know how to say what I wanted to say. I stood up to get the pregnancy tests out of my pocket. I placed them down on the table in front of him when I sat back down. He looked down at them, speechless.

"I did more than one, just to be sure." The information wasn't processing in his brain.

"We're going to have a baby?" he asked, head cocked to the side. I nodded, my face straight, not knowing what he was thinking was unnerving.

"We're going to have a baby!" he stood up with such force that the chair whisked behind him. He ran to me and pulled me up into a joyful embrace. I wrapped my legs around his waist and lay my head on his shoulder. Tears were streaming down my cheeks. Tears of pure happiness.

We were going to have a baby.


	4. Chapter 4

_Hey, guys, I'm so sorry that this is so late. It's been so long. How are you? Yearning for my new chapter? I know. Here you are. It won't be so long next time. I'm planning to get this done very soon :) I'm sorry that this chapter is so short. I didn't really know what to put for Monica and Chandler's five years later. I'm planning my next chapter now, I'll write it soon and then you'll get to read it. I am sincerely sorry for the wait, my laptop died and it had all my plans and new chapters on it and I was supposed to get it recovered and all that shiz. I just made up some new plans today and shall be updating this one more regularly. I've been very neglectful of this story and I apologise. Anyway, I digress, onto the story! _

**Chapter Four**

**'Monica and Chandler'**

**Five years later… **

"Mon! I need help!" Joey burst through the indigo-coloured front door of Chandler's house theatrically. "Guys? Anyone home?" He searched frantically, scanning every room in hope to find _someone_. Chandler strolled round the corner into the hall.

"Dude. We're all in the garden. It's Jack and Erica's birthday. Remember, five, like the card I bought for you to give them." Chandler huffed sarcastically, obviously stressed from the party and all the screaming children in the back garden.

"I just need a few minutes." Joey gazed up to Chandler with his shining hazel-coloured eyes.

"Ugh. Fine, come on." Chandler trudged down the corridor and through the French doors into the vast lawn area that was cluttered with various party games like the household favourite, pin the tail on the donkey, balloons, and so much food it could feed an entire army. _Typical Monica, _Joey thought.

"Yes!" Joey bounded down the corridor like a young child seeking sweets. He ran up to her. "Monica. I have a very serious question for you."

"Joey, not now. I'm busy." Monica was crouched, tending a small child that had scraped her knee in the excitement. "There you are, honey. All better now." Money chirped in a sickly-sweet tone and got up to turn to Joey. "Yes?"

"Right. So, its Lydia's birthday tomorrow and I just wanted to ask, is this a good plan?"

"Shoot." Monica answered, in a nonchalant manner.

"So before she wakes up, I'm going to make her a gorgeous breakfast in bed, pancakes with sliced peach and mango. She's trying to be healthy." He laughed at the prospect of health. "Later, after we've watched the full box set of favourite show, Modern Family, I'll take her shopping so she can buy a pretty dress and whatever else she wants because she's been through so much, I love her and she deserves the world. Then we'll go to the restaurant that I've booked a table at, again, her favourite." Joey fired, rhythmically, like a machine gun.

"Wow, Joe. That's the sweetest thing I've heard come out of your mouth. You _love _her. How's it going anyway, with you and Lydia?" Monica questioned.

"Amazing." Joey sighed happily "She's perfect. I think… I want to spend the rest of my life with her."

"Oh Joey. You're all grown up." Monica chuckled. She gazed out to the party. "No! No! Elizabeth! Its pin the tail on the donkey, not pin the tail on Jack." She rushed over.

Monica brought out a two-tier birthday cake. One tier was smothered with blue royal icing and the other with pink. There were piped decorations on the exterior of the top of the cake, rainbow sprinkles dusted the cake with colour.

"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear Jack and Erica! Happy Birthday to you!" Everyone chorused, harmonically. Synchronised, Erica and Jack blew out the candles.

_Jack and Erica are five. They've started school. They can talk. And walk. Ross and Rachel have missed so much. Paris. _Joey scoffed. _Why is Paris better than America? Baguettes? No. Women? No. Well, maybe. But no! _Joey sighed, a long sorrowful sigh.

"What's up?" Chandler asked.

"I miss Ross and Rachel." Joey stared at the floor. A small, discrete smirk flickered across Chandler's face for a millisecond.

"I know, man. I do too." Chandler gave Joey a firm pat on the back and walked away.

_It's just not fair. _Joey continued to talk to himself inside his head. _Please come back. Ross and Rachel. Please. _


	5. Chapter 5

_Hey, guys. New chapter, yay! I'm not going to lie. I'm happy with this one. I've spent so long perfecting it and I hope it makes up for the awful last one. I might re-write that one because I don't think this story deserves it. Anyway, as always, I digress. Please review :) It means the world to hear your thoughts and if you have any chapter or story ideas, I'd love to hear and perhaps make them a reality. You could private message me if you don't want to review. Anyway, enjoy! - Ella _

**Chapter Five **

**'Ross and Rachel'**

Her caramel biscuit highlighted hair was roughly brought up to the back of her head in a messed bun; Tendrils of hair fell past her face softly brushing her forehead and the nape of her neck. Rustic gold earrings dangled from her small, perfectly rounded ears. Upon her petite frame she wore a pure white tight t-shirt decorated with a cerise heart in the centre of a ragged black square, and scarlet and inky black chequered trousers along with a baggy dark grey woollen cardigan draped upon her shoulders. She stood on the pavement gazing up at the suburban house in Westchester. The Mediterranean white tiled roof blanketed the egg shell rendered brick walls. Beige shutters surrounded the white edged rectangular windows. Shrubs with the all of the colours in the scale of green nestled in the grounds of the house. A dark mossy green pine tree towered above the two-storey house like Big Foot in a forest. Jet-black outdoor lantern-like lights lit the way to the panelled garage door. Tiles depicted the house number, 1298.

"Ross, baby, it's perfect." Ross raised his arm from his side and placed it delicately around her waist and pulled her into him.

"I know!" An excited grin spread wide across his face as he lay a light kiss on the top of Rachel's head. They began to approach the vast cream-brick driveway and happily knocked on the colossal oak front door.

"Hello." A cheery woman with a beaming smile and golden blonde hair stood welcoming in the doorway with a young child grabbing at her legs. She smiled fondly with her dark chestnut eyes at the couple standing tall in front of her like she'd known them all of her life.

"Hi! I'm Rachel and this is my husband, Ross. We're very pleased to meet you!" Rachel outstretched her arm to shake her hand. The woman pulled her into a lengthy hug to Rachel's stunned surprise.

"I'm Meredith. Come on in!" The woman maintained the same cheery grin.

Ross dropped his keys into the small viridescent glass bowl to hear the sharp yet satisfying clink of metal on glass. "Rach?" he questioned, trying to see if she was home. There was no answer. Calmly, he removed his raven-black tailored suit jacket and hung it on the coat stand in the hall. Underneath he wore an azure-blue and cream pressed shirt and a clashing desert red and gold striped tie. He slumped down on the sofa, phone in hand and dialled.

"Hey, man. How are you?" a voice echoed through the receiver.

"Hey, Chandler. The house you suggested, it's perfect. Rachel loves it. We love it." Ross started excitedly.

"Oh yeah? What's it like?" Chandler queried.

"There are four bedrooms, an enormous master bedroom, a room each for Emma and Oscar and a spare room. We even have an en-suite to our room. Oh, Chandler, the garden. It's huge, big enough for the dog we've always wanted," he sighed happily. "It's perfect."

"Our room?" Chandler chuckled, heartily "Dude, that's amazing. Does she know? About you know, it?"

"No. I thought we'd keep it quiet. Don't tell Monica either. I have an idea." There were slow, quiet murmurs between Ross and Chandler on the phone.

"Honey? You home?" Rachel called from the front door. She laid down her countless bags full of shopping and strode out into the living room

"Hey, baby." Ross gazed up from his slumped position on the sofa. "So, what did y'a buy?"

"Throw pillows and this most beautiful paint. It's mustard yellow. I know it sounds gross but, babe, it's lovely." Rachel answered, enthused.

"Are we redecorating?" Ross questioned. Rachel sank back into the abyss of duck feathers that she called a sofa. Designer, obviously. She looked up with her bright aquamarine eyes directly into his,

"No," she hesitated "But, I'm really excited about this house, Ross. And it's perfect and it's what we've always dreamt about. A golden retriever frolicking through the grass, chasing butterflies and sticks. Emma and Oscar can have a garden to play in and explore. You know how much Oscar loves adventures, and Emma, she's seven now. She loves to play. We could get a swing set, or a jungle gym. Or anything. The house, it's full of possibilities. It's our future. Together. As a family." Ross stared intensely at Rachel, ecstatic about her enthusiasm about this house. He only knew that this was the one. His future. His happiness.

"You don't have to convince me, Rach. I saw it. It is perfect. I'm just… nervous. I don't know." Ross stuttered and threw his hands down on his lap in angst. Rachel turned her whole body to look at him. They needed to discuss this profusely, in depth. She knew they couldn't just rush into this. It was a huge decision. He wasn't that sort of man. He planned, and examined every aspect. Every hindrance. Anything that could possibly go wrong.

"Ross. I'm being serious. Oscar and Emma and asleep and they're fine. We need to talk about this. We deserve this. What are you nervous about?" Rachel implored.

"It's a big thing. An enormous thing to do. Can we just uproot the children from their lives? Oscar's three, he's lived here all his life. Emma's seven, as you said earlier. She's lived here since she was two. She doesn't properly know anything else. She's at school. We have jobs. Can we even get jobs that are perfect in America that are like the ones we have here? You've got the job you came here for and you love it. I work in a museum, examining palaeontological things. I love it there. It's my dream job. What I've wanted to do all my life. If I could get that sort of job in America, it would be perfect. But Rachel, I'm not sure."

"I know. Emma and Oscar should be near their family. Their grandparents aren't going to be around forever. We don't see the guys for months at a time. Monica's their Aunt and they haven't seen her in three and a half months. It's bad, Ross. We've both agreed that we're not happy here. We aren't. We've both agreed that the house is perfect so what's stopping us? Nothing. I'm nervous too. But it's good. We could go over for a bit and find a job and then decide on moving. It's not like we're poor and won't be fine not having jobs for a while. Baby, come on. What's stopping us? Let's do this." Rachel urged. Ross mused for a moment, analysing everything in his mind.

"Baby. Let's do it." Ross whispered into Rachel's ear.


End file.
